Be global. Feel local.

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At times, the complexity of today’s global economy may feel overwhelming. Whether you’re a working professional who is building wealth, a successful executive or business owner contemplating your next act, or the head of a multigenerational family looking to preserve your family’s future—you have questions. You expect clear answers from an advisor with worldwide experience who understands you, your family and your community.


Our highly credentialed team offers the thoughtful perspective and proactive service your family needs to help meet their goals. With a team of advisors spanning decades of experience, we strive, relentlessly, to make sure you feel well taken care of. By putting financial planning at the core of everything we do, we offer the capabilities to help you, your business and your family unlock opportunity, preserve wealth and create continuity.

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Pursuing your goals together

Our mission is to provide quality strategies customized to your needs. Our goal is to be your primary source of financial advice. To this end, we concentrate our efforts on developing long-term relationships through a commitment to quality client service.

  • Araya Mesfin Profile Photo

    Araya Mesfin, CFP

    Managing Director–Wealth Management

    Financial Advisor

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    • AL
    • CA
    • CO
    • FL
    • GA
    • IL
    • IN
    • LA
    • MA
    • MD
    • MN
    • MS
    • NC
    • NJ
    • NV
    • NY
    • OH
    • OR
    • PA
    • SC
    • TN
    • TX
    • VA
    • WA
    • WI

    The diversity of his client base reflects Araya’s gift for quickly making strong personal connections.

    Araya works with high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals, families and businesses from a wide variety of backgrounds. He is dedicated to preserving their wealth through the development and implementation of customized strategies for retirement, estate planning and tax planning.

    Intent on building a partnership with his clients, Araya is deliberate in learning what is important to each and tailors his advice to their values and lifestyle. Along the way, he enjoys coaching people to make sound financial decisions, so they gain peace of mind about the future. Araya is a member of the UBS President’s Council.

    Araya joined UBS in 2014 after building a successful practice with Morgan Stanley. He earned his B.S. in physics and biology from Berry College, where he was a Bonner Scholar and an All-American soccer player. Born in Ethiopia, Araya is fluent in both English and Amharic. He has called the Atlanta area home since he was 14 years old.

    Araya is passionate about his community and deeply involved in roles at organizations that strengthen it and support entrepreneurial efforts, including:

    • Atlanta Ballet, Board of Trustees

    • BCM, Board of Trustees

    • Berry College, Board of Trustees

    • Chris 180, Board of Directors

    • Empower 5s, Board of Directors

    • Hub 404 Conservancy, Board of Directors

    • Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Board of Advisors

    • Association of African American Financial Advisors, Member

    • Ansley Country Club, Atlanta, GA, Member

    • Coosa Country Club, Rome, GA , Member 

     

    Outside of the office

    • Araya lives in Buckhead with his wife, Amber Lynn, and son, Jack.

    • He loves being a father and playing soccer with his son.

    • He pushes himself to “always be doing, always be learning.”

    • Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022The Forbes rating is compiled by Shook Research and awarded annually in April based on information from a 12 month period ending June of the prior year.

      • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
      • Senior Portfolio Manager
      • Wealth Advisor
      • Athlete & Entertainer Consultant
      Retirement planning
      Estate planning strategies
      Exit planning
      Custom portfolios
      Executive compensation
      Professional athletes
      Women investors
      Business owners
      1200 Abernathy Road
      600 Northpark Town Center
      Atlanta, GA 30328
    • Charles Michael Johnson Profile Photo

      Charles Michael Johnson, CRPS

      Senior Vice President–Wealth Management

      Financial Advisor

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      • AL
      • CA
      • CO
      • FL
      • GA
      • IL
      • IN
      • MD
      • MN
      • MO
      • NC
      • NJ
      • NV
      • NY
      • OH
      • PA
      • SC
      • TN
      • TX
      • UT
      • VA
      • WA

      Developing personal relationships with his clients, and helping those clients achieve their goals, is what Mike appreciates most about his work.

      Mike’s focus is financial planning for executives, professionals and business owners. He has extensive experience guiding clients through the constant shifts of the financial markets, as well as navigating their evolving financial needs. He builds toward successful financial outcomes by creating a customized financial plan for each client. But he doesn’t do this alone. An athlete from a young age, Mike learned the importance of teamwork early—and today he recognizes the value of our team in addressing his clients’ goals and concerns.

      Mike is a consultant to many of our corporate clients, advising them on appropriate retirement plan strategies and structures and guiding trustees through their fiduciary obligations. He holds the Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM (CRPS®) designation, as well as the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designation, two indicators of his deep knowledge of retirement plan issues and fiduciary responsibilities.

      A graduate of Georgia Tech, he lettered in both football and golf while a student there.

      Mike and his wife, Sandy, live in John’s Creek, where he likes to golf and is an active member of Shallowford Presbyterian Church.

          • Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist℠
          Financial planning
          Retirement planning
          401(k) plan services
          1200 Abernathy Road
          600 Northpark Town Center
          Atlanta, GA 30328
        • Michael Jay Grace Profile Photo

          Michael Jay Grace, CIMA

          Senior Vice President–Wealth Management

          Financial Advisor

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          • AL
          • CA
          • CO
          • FL
          • GA
          • IL
          • IN
          • MD
          • MN
          • MO
          • NC
          • NJ
          • NV
          • NY
          • OH
          • OK
          • PA
          • SC
          • TN
          • TX
          • VA
          • WA

          Mike’s interest in investing developed when he was young and eventually brought him to a Career as a financial advisor after he graduated from college in 1977. Today, he is passionate about how he can play a key role in helping his clients and their families reach their financial goals.

          For him, this starts with an emphasis on the client’s total experience. With that framework as his guide, he provides extensive wealth planning and customized investment advice. He has significant experience—and success—in understanding and working with the often complex and unique situations of the individuals and families he serves. His clients benefit from Mike’s deep background in the industry, and from personal service and frequent contact from our attentive administrative staff.

          Mike’s industry experience includes his previous roles as a private client advisor and also as a branch manager, which included supervising, hiring and mentoring the financial advisors in various offices. He joined UBS in 2012 and today is a member of the UBS President’s Council. He holds his Series 3, 7, 65 and 66 securities licenses.

          Mike graduated magna cum laude from Georgia Tech with a degree in business. He also earned the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) designation at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

          Driven to support charities and organizations that benefit children, Mike served as president of the Atlanta Ronald McDonald Houses and was a longtime board member.

          Mike and his wife, Leslie, live in the Atlanta area and are proud of their three grown children and one granddaughter.

              • Certified Investment Management Analyst®
              1200 Abernathy Road
              600 Northpark Town Center
              Atlanta, GA 30328
            • Peter Ritten Profile Photo

              Peter Ritten, CFP, CMT

              Senior Vice President–Wealth Management

              Financial Advisor

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              • AL
              • AR
              • CA
              • CO
              • FL
              • GA
              • IL
              • IN
              • KY
              • MD
              • MI
              • MN
              • MO
              • MS
              • NC
              • NJ
              • NV
              • NY
              • OH
              • PA
              • SC
              • TN
              • TX
              • VA
              • WA

              As a designated Wealth Advisor at UBS, Peter advises high net worth families and small Businesses in life cycle financial planning. His goal is to assist all family members in the stages of wealth accumulation, preservation and transfer through the development and implementation of a family financial plan that is monitored and updated regularly.

              Peter is a Certified Financial PlannerTM (CFP®) professional, and he believes that the foundation of financial success is a solid financial plan. His philosophy of “anticipatory financial planning” is based on the belief that as advisors our experience and expertise should lead us to identify and plan for potential financial risks and opportunities in a proactive manner.

              In addition to the core belief of a solid financial plan, Peter remains a strong advocate that advisors should have a lifelong pursuit of expertise in financial markets. Peter is a UBS-designated Portfolio Manager and is responsible for equity and fixed income portfolio management. His core competencies include portfolio analysis and risk management, individual equity and fixed income security selection and analysis, as well as equity options strategy management.

              After a brief career in technology, Peter became a financial advisor in 2001 at Morgan Stanley. He moved to UBS in 2005. He is a graduate of Miami University in Ohio with degrees in international studies and English/journalism. In his free time, he enjoys tennis and playing guitar, and is an avid traveler and enjoys learning new languages and cultures. He lives in Sandy Springs with his wife, Leslie, their daughter, Brett, and their family dog, Bella.

                  • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
                  • Portfolio Manager
                  Financial planning
                  Retirement planning
                  Estate planning strategies
                  Custom portfolios
                  Asset allocation
                  Equity plans
                  Securities-backed lending
                  Multi-generational families
                  1200 Abernathy Road
                  600 Northpark Town Center
                  Atlanta, GA 30328
                • Donn Walter Sant Profile Photo

                  Donn Walter Sant

                  Senior Vice President–Wealth Management

                  Financial Advisor

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                  • AL
                  • CA
                  • CO
                  • FL
                  • GA
                  • HI
                  • IN
                  • MA
                  • MD
                  • MN
                  • NC
                  • NJ
                  • NV
                  • NY
                  • OH
                  • PA
                  • SC
                  • TN
                  • TX
                  • UT
                  • VA
                  • WA

                  Donn’s work with clients and prospects is based on collaboration. He listens closely, then makes suggestions and creates a plan based on what he has heard.

                  He’s invested in seeing his clients succeed, in all aspects of their life, by looking at a holistic approach across retirement, insurance, long-term care, education and more. And he keeps his clients informed and aware by providing weekly updates and quarterly reviews.

                  Donn started his career in the financial services industry in 1981. In 1983, he joined a large firm as a regional consultant, where he specialized in the area of Alternative Investments. His clients at the time were financial advisors.

                  In 1991, he shifted his priorities and focus, choosing to work with individual clients with the intent to provide them with the best investment solutions for their portfolios. In 2005, he moved to UBS, where he continues to focus on serving and helping clients reach their financial goals.

                  Donn holds a degree in business, with an emphasis in finance and minor in accounting and economics, from Brigham Young University. Additionally, he holds Series 3, 7, 22, 63 and 65 securities, as well as insurance, annuities and long-term care licenses.

                  A fan of the outdoors, Donn prefers to be at the lake or on the beach. He’s happy to fill his free time with golf, cooking and being with his wife, kids and grandchildren. On Wednesday nights, you’ll find him volunteering for his church youth groups.

                        Financial planning
                        Long-term care planning
                        Retirement planning
                        Estate planning strategies
                        Investing
                        Alternative investments
                        Sustainable investing
                        Securities-backed lending
                        1200 Abernathy Road
                        600 Northpark Town Center
                        Atlanta, GA 30328
                      • Tyler Scott Cerone Profile Photo

                        Tyler Scott Cerone, CFP

                        Financial Advisor

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                        • AL
                        • CA
                        • CO
                        • FL
                        • GA
                        • IL
                        • IN
                        • MA
                        • MD
                        • MN
                        • NC
                        • NJ
                        • NV
                        • NY
                        • OH
                        • PA
                        • SC
                        • TN
                        • TX
                        • VA
                        • WA
                        • WV

                        Tyler focuses on retirement and estate planning for our clients. He is passionate about helping clients achieve their life’s goals, and about providing them with confidence when it comes to their financial situation. He builds his work on a foundation of strong personal relationships, taking time to understand each client’s vision of what their future looks like. He knows the value of always seeing clients as individuals, and of earning and keeping their confidence.

                        In fact, the relationship aspect of this business is what led Tyler to a career in financial services. He sincerely enjoys helping clients grow and protect their wealth for a happy retirement.

                        He has worked in the industry since 2013 and became fully registered in 2014. In 2017, he became a Certified Financial PlannerTM professional. Tyler also holds his insurance license and his Series 7 and Series 66 securities licenses. He earned his B.S. in business management from Oglethorpe University.

                        Tyler lives in Alpharetta with his wife, Amber, and their infant daughter, Carson. He loves spending quality time with his family and his friends. In his free time, he loves watching sports and Philadelphia sports teams. He golfs, plays basketball and is passionate about traveling and exploring new cities. Additionally, he is involved in CURE, a foundation dedicated to conquering
                        childhood cancer.

                              Financial planning
                              Retirement planning
                              Estate planning strategies
                              Exit planning
                              Investing
                              Asset allocation
                              Business owners
                              Corporate executives
                              1200 Abernathy Road
                              600 Northpark Town Center
                              Atlanta, GA 30328

                            Connecting you to the deep resources of UBS

                            By seeing the big picture, we provide access to the global platforms and the financial and intellectual strengths of UBS’s experts in Wealth Management, Asset Management and our Private and Investment Banks.

                            Multigenerational wealth planning

                            Multigenerational wealth planning

                            Empty stands

                            Athletes and entertainers, let’s talk legacy

                            Goals-based planning

                            Goals-based planning

                            Year Ahead 2023

                            A year of inflections

                            Following one of the toughest years in history for investors, CIO sets its sights on the Year Ahead. Entering what we expect to be a “Year of Inflections,” uncertainty remains high. But for investors with the ability to look through short-term noise, the difficulties of 2022 should make way for longer-term opportunities. Navigating these anticipated inflection points in 2023 will be key to investment success.

                            Backed by the strength of UBS

                            A global leader in wealth management

                            $2.8 trillion

                            In invested assets globally 
                            As of 06/30/2022

                            51 countries

                            Our global footprint

                            Global leader

                            UBS is a world-leading wealth manager

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